Happy New Year - December 31, 2012

Happy New Year! Also Happy Birthday to Tyson! I loved our call Mom. I was flying high after our call. It was incredible to be able to see your face and hear your voice. I am very excited that in very little time I will be seeing your face in person. My comp spoke with his family and I got to meet his sister and her family. The week was not too bad. It was slow but on Sunday one of the members told us her dad that was drinking last Monday we were there prayed and repented and wants to change and be baptized. That was pretty amazing news and I’m very very happy for him. I really miss playing games. I would love to have a weekly day when we play games and share a short message also, perhaps Monday hahaha. Next Christmas will be a great time of family together. I can’t wait. I’m glad Scott could finally use his snow blower. That is a lot of snow very quickly. It has been pretty cold here lately. I really want to see Skyfall and Les Miserables. I have lots of movies to catch up on when I get home. I miss Jentry and can’t wait for our times to go on more adventures, that girl is one of my best friends. I love the memories our family has had. I will never forget snowmobiling and crashing. Driving around before I was 16 and many many more. We will have to remember more when I’m back. Puzzles will be fun. Do a couple before your vacation ends. No package yet but I think it is in the office. I have a meeting there this Wednesday and will bring all the mail back with me. My comp did not get a package from his family but his girlfriend sent something that he is really excited to get. This month is our Book of Mormon activity and I need to start planning and preparing things. I think it is going to be amazing. We are really trying hard right now to work with members, they are the big difference in the work. Mom I can’t explain how much I love you and I’m glad that you are my mom. Sending you all my love and hugs. You will be the first hug, I promise. Love you and anxiously waiting to talk to you soon.

Merry Christmas! - December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas Eve! I am planning on Skyping you tomorrow at 11 or 12 my time which is 10 or 11 your time. I’m super excited and can’t wait to see you and talk to you. With Nana’s package it is file a claim there in Utah and they push here in Guatemala. I have not received your package yet but I am super super excited for it. I really can’t wait for the letter also. I love our family. The office parties sound really fun and wonderful. Lucky you have off work till Jan 2. Next year I will enjoy that time watching movies and playing games with you. I can wait to hear about your Christmas Eve dinner. I really miss that and all our Christmas traditions. I heard a little bit about the kidnapping but not too many details. Very crazy. Mom I love you so much and am counting down the time till I can talk with you. I love you with all my heart. Your super excited son!

 Me at the Temple

 Temple with my Branch President - Presidente Nelton Lopez

 Christmas sweaters with my comp

Steven's Christmas package.  What's that?  That's right a Guatemala Survivor Buff!

 With President y Hermana Maravilla

Christmas Party at Xetulul - December 18, 2012

We had a conference with President Maravilla this last week. It was so good. I learned a lot. We talked about the difference in testimony and conversion. Testimony is knowing that something is true and conversion is living the gospel faithfully. We all can do more to increase our own conversion. We watched a video about the atonement of Christ with President Eyring and Elder Holland talking. I really liked a comment that when things are hard we can always think of Christ and what he suffered and did for us. My mission is hard but because of that I can understand better the atonement and what it was like for Christ. That was very interesting to think of. When times are hard it is still nothing compared to the atonement. I also got to go to the temple this week with our district and the members from Rio Blanco. It was so special and wonderful. I have not been able to go with members only elders. I love the temple so much and will spend lots of time there when I’m home. We were in a sealing and after I participated my comp was participating. Well one member said my comp did not look well and the next moment he passed out. Yikes! His first experience with sealings and he passed out. But he was better after. I met a missionary from the Xela mission named Elder Lundberg from Brigham City. He is from the 3rd ward and his mom works in the Brigham temple. I think Nana and Grandpa might know them. I still have no word about Nanas package. The post office here said that she should file a claim there and then the post office will pressure the post office here to find the package and get it done quickly. If she can it would help. I talked Sunday about Love as the greatest gift we can give. I did really well. I talked about the love our Heavenly Father has and His son Jesus Christ, about service here and examples from my home in Utah, about the love you have for me and the letter you gave me after I went to the temple. I felt really good. I have such a wonderful convert. She is active and happy with her husband and she participates in the classes, I have seen such a change in her and such joy. That makes me very pleased. We had our Christmas party yesterday. It was in Xetulul again. There are so many amazing talented missionaries. I want to learn how to sing better. I did not get your package yet but I’m anxiously looking for it. I don’t know why it is not here yet. I got a package from Jessica and her family that was sent after yours. It was very wonderful and filled with thoughtful loving gifts, all with a snowman theme. Guess what one of the coolest things was? A Guatemala red survivor buff! I’m so in love with it. The party was good and I got a nice gift from Hna Maravilla she made 4 cookies for all 200 missionaries, she baked over 600 cookies and then added some small candies to the package. Very thoughtful. One crazy thing about the party was I looked around at all the mission and I only know a few people, all the elders are new. Guess that’s what happens when you are close to the end. I would love very much to go on a diving trip when I get home. Did you still want to come to Guatemala with me after I get back? I would like to visit here and see more. Your Xmas party with the family sounds so amazing. I really miss the family and I’m excited to see them soon. The kids are adorable. Next week we get to talk! We can use Skype again so I want to Skype you Xmas day, not sure what time yet but I will give you a call before. I would like to see Sis and if Nana and Grandpa are there that would be amazing too. You should scan the photos. I want to do that with more of my photos from my childhood. Pics from the 70s and 60s, I want to see them. I’m glad you are doing well and Scott feels better. I will miss the dinner and the traditions but I know next year will be wonderful. I’m very very excited to talk with you and see you. Take care and know I love you and think you are the best mom ever.

Love J

Staying in Rio Blanco!

So this week we did more service. We did corn collecting Monday morning. Tuesday we left again at 5 am to haul trunks of wood up a very steep hill. I was so tired it was hard. But once again I was very happy to help. There were changes this week, but I DONT HAVE CHANGES. I get to stay here in Rio Blanco. I’m so happy for that. I really hope I end my mission here. I believe we get to Skype but no official word yet. The last change starts Jan 16 and ends Feb 27, so Feb 28 I should be home. Wow that is so soon, not gonna lie I’m excited. I love Galen Card and his family. That is intense starting where you left off. I have a lot of independent study to do when I get back. He wrote me a letter that I’m about to read after this. That is a bummer that Scott was sick, that really is no fun at all. Hope he is feeling better. Heather is 18! She is so old now haha. The Christmas party sounded really fun. I miss it. How wonderful that Great Grandma was there and the pics sound really cool. Kembree is a cutie eating all the fruitloops and asking how to play. I love that she loves my picture and says "my Jensen." I truly love those kids so much and can’t wait to see them. I love writing them. So this week we went contacting for 4 hours and only found 4 people, none of which were very excited. We did however find our reference. We went to her house and taught her. She has been to church before and is super positive. We had an amazing lesson and challenged her to baptism. She said when she gets her answer she will do it. We went back two days later with the President of the branch and had another amazing lesson about the Book of Mormon. We challenged her again and she said yes. We are planning her baptism 22 of Dec. She is so incredible. I love teaching her and her desire to learn. We also taught the dad of some members. He is not a member and struggles with some addictions but he wants to change. He is great and really loves our visits. We are helping him little by little. I really want to help him improve his life with the gospel. That is the power of the gospel. It changes lives for the better. I can’t imagine how happy this family will be if their dad gets baptized. I really love this area even when it is hard. The people are all so amazing and I really love them and want to help them. Lots of members are inviting us for Chrsitmas. It is only in two weeks aaahhh. And the Sunday right before I will have 22 months. Wow! One last funny thing. My comp was preparing a lesson about the second coming and found something interesting. He found that in the heavens there will be no women. DC 88:95 says there will be silence in the heavens. hahaha. Just kidding, I can’t imagine heaven without my family and my future wife. We got a good laugh from that though. I can’t wait for your package and I really really can’t wait to Skype you. I love you so much and send my love to the family. Be happy, be safe, be blessed.

Love,

Son

 Corn collecting

 We filled all these bags and carried them on our backs

  Cute baby

Baptism of Karina

Elder Guerra and I

 Service

 First English class

My amazing sweater

Just chillin on a fence

Day of service after the earthquake

Collecting Corn - December 3, 2012

That is cool that Scott has an IPad. They are lots of fun and can do so much. Wow 33 dives sound amazing and over 3,000 photos I bet they are amazing. I want to see some. That is amazing that your blood sugars were not too high or too low. You truly were blessed and watched over. Lucky that you got to eat good food, delicious desserts, and chocolate before each dive. Crazy that when it was all over your sugars went really high. Sounds really amazing there. That is good that even though it was the second time you did not get bored with anything. I can imagine that after that amazing trip it would be very hard to go back to work. It is like when I went to Lake Powell and Germany then had to return to work. The fish and things sound so cool. I really want to see something better than Blue Lake, which is not blue at all. I would love to go on a trip. I can’t wait for the dearelders. I feel so much better, not many problems with the cough. Can’t believe it is December.  The Christmas devotional was amazing yesterday. I was studying this week and I thought about something cool. I was reading John 6:29 Jesus says that the work of God is that they believe on him who he hath sent (or believe in Christ). Then I thought about Moses 1:39 that says the work of God is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I connected these two that it is only through Christ and believing in him that we can receive immortality and eternal life. That is God’s work that we receive it through believing in Christ. That was cool for me. This week we did service for the District President from 5:30 am to 2 pm helping him collect the corn from his field, put it in sacks that weigh a lot, and carry it up a hill. It was hard work corn collecting but I enjoyed helping a lot and he was very grateful because he would have done it basically himself and right after he left to go cut and collect fire wood. He works so much and doesn’t stop so I was glad to help him. One of the other missionaries has permission to have two rabbits. Well the 4 of us decided to eat one. They cooked it and we came over for lunch. I don’t know if it was because how it was cooked or rabbit meat is just like that but it had no flavor and was pretty hard. But now I can say I ate rabbit. Yesterday in church was so great. Our convert and her husband got up to share their testimonies. This is the first time she has done it. I was so happy, I really can’t explain the feeling of joy I felt. Her testimony was simple but so strong. I started to cry (don’t make fun) thinking about how amazing this family is and how happy I am that I could help them. After another member shared that we had challenged him to share pamphlets with others this week. He said that he had doubts but his little daughter motivated him and said they had to do it, they gave away 3 and he was very happy to do it. It was a powerful testimony meeting. Today we got up at 5 am to go help a different member with his corn collecting. It was difficult and we had to carry them on our back up a big hill. I was very tired but once again happy to help. This week are changes and I really really don’t want to go. I want to end my mission here. I will let you know what happens. I really love Rio Blanco and the people here. I am glad you are home safe and enjoyed your trip. I love you so much. I can’t wait to Skype you, it is coming up very fast. Have a wonderful week. You are in my prayers and my heart.
Love J

District Leader - November 26, 2012

I’m doing great. Sounds like you are having a blast and seeing so much. What a life, eat, sleep, and dive. haha. Glad you’re safe and doing well. I am just about over my sickness. Just a little cough left. We had interviews Friday.  At the interview the son of President Maravilla called me over and gave me some turkey they had made. It was so good, so yes I did have turkey for Thanksgiving.  Just a little late. Well interviews were interesting. Changes are in a week and a half and President pulled the other two elders from their area and sent us two other missionaries. I became District Leader for right now and we'll see if I stay as District Leader for the next change. I did my first baptismal interviews Friday. It went very well and I enjoyed talking with them. The baptisms were for the other area. Because the elders were changed I had to scramble Saturday to plan a baptism last min that is not mine or in my area. Our assistence has raised again Sunday and I am very happy for that. We need to find more people though. I love the area, I really really love the members and I can’t believe how fast the time is passing. I love you and hope you enjoy your last week in the Philippines. Can’t wait to talk to you again. Do you have an IPad?

Baptism - November 19, 2012

I do love talking on the radio. I have felt a few more small quakes but nothing big. I had my first English class that went very well but only a couple people showed up the first day. I hope it gets better. We had the baptism Thursday. We went to the church and started to fill the font and after about 2 inches of water it stopped. There was no more water in the church. We were scrambling for solutions and talked with the District President. We did the baptism at his house in a big font thing he has of water. The water was ice cold. The member that did the baptism said a couple words wrong of the prayer, but the water was so cold that the hermana left for the warm shower immediately after. We knew it was wrong and looked at the District President but he did not say anything. The baptismal service was amazing and very spiritual. Well we had to do the baptism again so Friday we scrambled to get her back in Rio Blanco and I baptized her in the freezing water. She was really good about doing it again and is probably one of my best converts. She is doing prep with the presidency about going on a mission. I’m so happy for her. Friday night was our wards family home evening night for all the members. It was in Cabrican which is over an hour away. We had two cars to take us there. One was an elderly member that can’t drive. When we got in the car I noticed that the driver was his 12 year old grandson. I thought oh my goodness, a 12 year old is driving. But he did really well. Saturday was one of my worst days. I still have the cough. Saturday I slept in until 9 and I was freezing. I had 5 blankets and 2 heaters on and I was still freezing. My knees, back, head, and stomach hurt. After freezing I was burning up and sweat so bad. I felt crappy all day. I was in bed until 5. I feel much better but still not 100%. I felt bad that my comp was stuck inside for so long and that I missed our English class. I love the members. They brought me medicine and oranges and everyone asked if I was ok. They really love me. Thank you for talking with Weber. That is awesome that you got the decorations up. I anxiously look forward to your package. I hope Scott is feeling better. I am excited for your trip and can’t wait to hear about it. Hope you are both safe and happy and having a blast. I love you so much and send you all my love. Tell the Beus I love them too.

Love J